Democrats Call for Higher Mileage Standards

In their weekly radio address, Democrats yesterday called for a new direction in energy policy, away from gas-guzzling automobiles and reliance on foreign oil.

"America deserves more-fuel-efficient cars," said Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington. But she added that "the only way consumers are going to get more out of a tank of gas is if the president and his party help deliver votes in a narrowly divided Congress."

It is widely expected that the Senate will approve tougher standards for fuel economy as part of an energy bill it hopes to finish in the coming weeks.

The Senate bill would require automakers to increase the mileage of cars, SUVs and pickups beginning in 2020 to a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon. It currently is 27.5 mpg for cars and 22.2 for SUVs and small trucks.

But a group of senators close to the auto industry -- Democrats and Republicans -- argue that carmakers cannot meet that steep of an increase, especially for SUVs and trucks. They will try to get approval this week for a more modest boost in the federal requirement to 36 mpg for cars and 30 mpg for SUVs and pickups by 2025.

President Bush has said he opposes Congress setting any new arbitrary numerical fuel economy standard.

Cantwell said Democrats want to "take our energy policy in a new direction."

"America's strength lies in our ability to invent new and better ways of doing things," she said. "The challenge we face now is transforming America's energy policy -- one that is well over 50 years old and too reliant of fossil fuels -- to one that will make America a global leader again in energy technology and get us off our overdependence on foreign oil."